EcoWaste to Manila malls: Stop selling mercury-containing cosmetics

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Pro-environmental group EcoWaste Coalition on Tuesday urged shopping malls in Manila to ban the sale of lightening products containing disease-causing mercury within their business premises.

According to EcoWaste, it sent a letter to five malls. It sought their management’s help to ensure that mercury-containing cosmetics unapproved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would no longer be available to the public.

It coordinated with 168 Shopping Mall in Binondo, Good Earth Plaza in Santa Cruz, Isetann Mall-Recto in Quiapo, QQ Mall in Quiapo, and Tutuban Center.

“We hope concerned mall managers will heed our plea and take immediate action to make their thriving business safe from dangerous products such as cosmetics laden with mercury,” said EcoWaste Coalition National Coordinator Aileen Lucero in a statement.

Before seeking these malls’ assistance, the group monitored FDA-banned products on sale in stores within the said commercial establishments.

The Asean Cosmetic Directive prohibits using mercury and its compounds on cosmetic products, while the Minamata Convention on Mercury directed the phase-out of skin-lightening products with mercury content above 1 part per million.

Below is the list of mercury-containing products the group found in these malls:

• 88 Total White Underarm Cream from Thailand
• Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene and Goree Day and Night Beauty Cream from Pakistan
• Collagen Plus Vit E Day and Night Cream from Indonesia
• Feique Herbal Extract Whitening Anti-Freckle Set and S’Zitang from China

“These products target women who are enticed to apply these creams with undisclosed mercury content to lighten the skin tone, treat acne, and remove age spots, blackheads, blemishes, freckles, and wrinkles,” said EcoWaste.

The group would also contact the management of 999 Shopping Mall, Dragon 8 Mall, Manila City Plaza, and Victory Lacson Underpass and encourage them to ban these products.

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